Street-sweeping machine.



PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.. s. BEATTY. STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

APPLIGATIGNIILED DEC. 2a. 1902.

' a SHEETS-SHEET '1.

N0 MODEL,

v R w PATBNTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

No. 740,218. I

' R.S.BEATTY.

STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED D30. 26, 1902. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-BHBBT 2;

il/zedae I V M/QM 3 A i No. 740,218. PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

R. s. BEATTY. STREET SWEEPING MACHINE.

APPLIUATIOII FILED DEC. 26, 1902,

Q Q a? 4 J j I 1T I. W.

N0 MODEL- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Patented September 29, 1965.

PATENT OFFICE...

ROBERT S. BEATTY, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

STREET-SWEEPlNG MACHINE.

srncmrcarrclv forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,218, dated September 29, 1903. Application filed December 26,1902. Serial No, 136,665. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, ROBERT S. BnATrY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Street-Sweeping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a street-sweeping machine. The object of the invention is to provide a simple machine of this character which is adapted to eifectivelyand rapidly clean streets of refuse; and the machine includes in its organization an elevator to elevate the sweep ings of the broom thereof and conduct such sweepings to bags or their equivalents removably mounted in a closed housing, and the elevator operates in a closed casing, so that the sweepings are not exposed during the action of the machine. derstood that the improved machine is in the nature of a combined sweeper, loader, and bagger. When the bags are filled, they can be removed from their housing to be carted away or otherwise disposed of. a The improved machine includes as one of its more important features the combination of a rotative broom, a casing, an elevator in said casing adapted to receive and elevate the sweepings of the broom and to conduct the same along said casing, and means for receiving the sweepings from the elevator, the latter beingyieldingly mounted to permit of the f ree passageof large obstructions, by virtue of which the possibility of the elevator being deranged is materially reduced.

The improved machine is shown in one simple embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of said machine, portions being broken away. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, also having portions broken away. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the bag-housing with a portion of its front wall broken away. Fig. lis a sectional front elevation of clutch mechanism hereinafter more particularly described.

Like characters of reference denote like parts throughout the views.

The numeral 1 designates the axle of the It will thereforebe un-,

machine, it being furnished at its opposite ends with the wheels 2, which travel along the ground and from whichthe broom and elevator, hereinafter described, receive their motion through driving mechanism including a clutch by means of which said broom and elevator may be'thrown into or out of action at the will of the operator. Connected to andextending forward from the axle is a draft appliance of some suitable kind, that illustrated consisting of shafts 3, although this is not essential. At or near the opposite ends of the axle 1 are uprights or standards 4, connected at their top in some convenient manner to the under side of the casing 5 for the elevator hereinafter more particularly described, which casing is shown as inclined and as extending upward and forward from the broom 6, the entering end of said casing being in proximity to the broom and the easing preferably being closed, whereby the dissemination of matter contained therein into the atmosphere is prevented. The broom 6 may be of any suitable construction, the opposite ends of its shaft being rotatively supported by the elongated arms 7, extending forwardly therefrom and pivoted in ad jacence to the. periphery of the broom to the brackets 8, fastened to opposite sides of the casing 5, near the entering end thereof. The upper half of the broom is surrounded by the hood 9, which may be made of any suitable material and which is united in some convenient way to the elevator-casing 5. The broom-carrying arms 7 are united at or near their forward ends by the cross-bar 10, under which the wheel 11 is supported, said wheel being rotatively carried by a bracket upon the vertical housing 12, hereinafter more particularly described and which depends from the upper or discharge end of the elevator-casing.

Thehand-lever 13 is fulcrumed between its ends to a suitable bearing upon one of the shafts 3, and a chain 14 is connected to the lower end of said hand-lever-and' extends rearwardly therefrom ,is led around the guidewheel 11, and joined to. the cross-bar 10 between the pivotallymounted arms 7. By manipulating the lever 13,the handle of which is within easy reach of the driver of the vehicle, the arms? may be operated in unison fastened in some suitable way-for example,

by means of the U-bolts 21to the wheels 2. The loose gears 20 are provided upon their inner sides with part of a clutch, the other part of the clutch being denoted by 22 and being splined to the shaft 15. The slidable clutch members 22 are normally held in Working relation with coacting clutch parts upon the gears 19 by coil-springs 23, surrounding the shaft 15 and bearing against the respective slidable clutch halves and also against fixed stops 24, which consist of sleeves secured to the shaft 15. When the clutch halves 22 are in engagement with the cooperating clutch halves upon the gears 19, it will be understood that the latter are coupled to their shaft so that upon the rotation of the gears 19 by the master-gears 20 the shaft 15, and consequently the sprocket-wheel 16, will be rotated so as to actuate the broom 6. By moving the slidable clutch halves 22 inward the broom will be thrown out of action, and this result is secured by the following means: The rock-shaft 25 is supported by suitable bearings upon the elevator-casing 5, and the housing 12 and chains 26 are secured thereto near one end of the same and extend oppositely therefrom, the outer ends of said chains being connected to sleeves 27, which are non rotatably connected to the clutch halves 22. This connection may be of the kind ordinarily employed in clutchshipping devices, and therefore a detail view and description of the same are not deemed necessary. Upon the shaft 25 is a weighted hand-lever 28, which when the clutch halves 22 are in cooperative relation with the coacting clutch halves upon the gears 19 is located at one side of a vertical line intersecting the center of motion of the rock-shaft 25, it being understood that said clutch halves 22 are maintained in this relation by virtue of the coiled push-springs 23. To uncouple or disengage the clutch halves 22 from their mates, the weighted arm 28 is grasped and thrown to the opposite side of said vertical line, which results in winding the chains 26 on said shaft andpulling, through the sleeves 27, the clutch halves 22 inward, so that the desired result is secured, and when the weighted arm is shifted it will by its own weight remain in such position in order to hold the clutch halves 22 in their ineffective positions, it being obwheels 35.

vious that the weighted arm is of such a weight as to maintain the clutch halves 22 in their ineffective positions. Near the top of the inclined casing 5 is supported a shaft 29, one end of which extends beyond the casing and is provided with a sprocket-wheel 30, connected by a sprocket chain 31 with the sprocket-wheel 32, rigidly secured to the shaft 15,it being evident that said sprocket-wheel 32 can be connected to or disconnected from the driving-gear 20 through the intervention of the clutch mechanism just described. The shaft 29-is provided near the opposite walls of the casing 5 with sprocket wheels 33, around which the upper ends of sprocketchains 34 are passed, said sprocket-chains being passed at their lower ends around the The shafts of the wheels 35 are rotatively supported by the bars 36, extending longitudinally of the casing 5, and arms 37, rigidly fastened to the inner sides of the respective bars and slightly curved to permit of the rotation of the wheels 35 between the bars and the arms, respectively. The upper ends of the bars are sustained by pivots 38, which are shown as consisting of bolts extending through elongated slots in the side walls of the elevator-casing 5. The bolts, in connection with the elongated slots through which they pass, provide a simple means for taking up slack in the sprocket-chains 34. What might be considered the under runs of the sprocket-chains have an ascending movement in the casing 5. The chains 34 are connected by suitable lags or slats 39, provided with brushes of a suitable kind for conducting the sweepings of the broom upward and along the under side or bottom of the elevator-casing 5. It will be understood that the chains, in connection with their lags, with the brushes constitute'an elevator for the refuse, and by virtue of the'connection of the lower end of the elevator with the pivotallysupported bars 36 said elevator is yieldingly mounted, so that upon the passage of lar eobstructions between the under or working run of the elevator and the casing said elevator can rise bodily in order that such obstructions can not affect the proper action of the elevator. To the lower or inlet end of the casing 5 I fasten the upper end of an apron 40, which may be of any suitable flexible material and which extends downwardly and rearwardly therefrom, its free end trailing along the ground in adjacence to the broom. The sweepings of the broom are delivered to the apron 40, from whence they are taken by the brushes upon the lower run of the elevator and are carried bysaid elevator upward along the bottom of the casing 5 to be'delivered intobags or other receptacles removably mounted in the housing 12, the upper end of which is under the delivery or discharge end of the casing 5. The top of the elevator-casing is provided with a hinged door 41, closing an opening in the said casing, by which access is had 'to the ICC interior thereof. The housing 12 contains a plurality of compartments, which are of any suitable number, each of which inoloses a bag or its equivalent removably supported .therein by hooks situated near the upper sides of the respective compartments, and the latter are normally closed by a door 42, by opening which the filled bags can be removed for the purpose of substituting empty ones therefor. It will be understood that the mouths of the bags are located just under the delivery end of the elevator in order to receive the sweepings thereform, or such sweepings could be delivered directly into the compartments of the housing 12. Upon the housing 12 a drivers seat, as 43, is mounted.

The invention is not limited to the exact construction hereinbefore described,for many variations may be adopted within thescope of the following claims.

The improved machine will sweep close to the curb, it sweeps and elevates perfectly when turning corners, it cannot become clogged, it is wholly sanitary, it is light, yet durable, and capable of sweeping with rapidity large surfaces. The machine furnishes its own power for actuating the sweeping mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a rotative broom, a casing, an elevator in said casing, the elevator being arranged to elevate the sweepings of the broom, an apron mounted in cooperative relation with the casing and arranged to travel along the ground in advance of the broom, means for receiving the sweepings from the elevator, and a housing having a plurality of compartments each adapted to receive a bag,with the mouths of the bags in proximity to the delivery end of the casing.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a rotative broom, an inclined casing extending upward and forward from the broom, an elevator in said casing, the elevator being arranged to receive the sweepings of the broom and being yieldingly mounted, an apron fastened to the lower end of the casing, thelowerend of the apron being adapted to trail along the ground in advance of the broom, a door closing the upper open end of the casing, and a housing having a plurality of compartments provided with means in the same for sustaining bags in position to receive the sweepings from the elevator,

and a door carried by the casing common to all the compartments.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a rotative broom, an inclined casing extending upwardly and forwardly from the broom, an endless elevator in said casing arranged to elevate the sweepings of the broom along the casing and having wheels, pivotally-mounted bars, the lower ends of which carry said wheels, said bars extending longitudinally of the casingand being pivotally supported at their upper ends,'a casing having a plurality of compartments provided with means for supporting bags with the mouths thereof in position to receive the sweepings from the elevator, and a door upon the casing common to the several compartments.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a rotative broom, an inclined casing extending upwardly and forwardly fromthe broom, an endless elevator in said casing, arranged to elevate the sweepings of the broom along the casing, having wheels and pivotallynnounted bars, the lower ends of which carry said wheels,said bars extending longitudinally of the casing and being pivotally and adjustably supported at their upper ends, and means for receiving the sweepings from the elevator.

'5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a rotative broom, an inclined casing extending upwardly and forwardly from the broom, and an endless elevator in said casing, arranged to elevate the sweepings of the'broom along the casing and having wheels, pivotally-mounted bars thelower ends of which carry said wheels, said bars extending longitudinally of the'casing and being pivotally supported at their upper ends, a housing having a plurality of compartments provided with means for supporting bags with their mouths in position to receive the sweepings from the elevator, a pivotallymounted carrier for the broom, a guide-pulley mounted upon the lower end of the housing, a hand-lever, and a connection extending from the hand-lever to the broom-carrier and passing around said guide-pulley.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT S. BEATTY.

Witn esses:

JOHN A. MONTGOMERY, W. M. DICKINSON. 

